Leucanthemum plant named ‘Whoops-a-Daisy’

ABSTRACT

The new Shasta daisy plant,  Leucanthemum  ‘Whoops-a-Daisy’, is a sturdy plant with dark green serrated foliage and strong heavily-branched stems. The numerous inflorescences have ray tepals of near white developing to pale cream and cover the plant in a mound from the top of the plant to the ground. The new plant is useful in the landscape as a long-flowering border, in mass, as accent plants and containerized for patio or indoor use, or as a cut flower.

Botanical classification: Leucanthemum×superbum (L. Burbank).

Variety denomination: ‘Whoops-a-Daisy’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The original Leucanthemum×superbum, or Shasta daisies, were bred by Luther Burbank in the late 1800's as a cross between Leucanthemum maximum (Ramond) DC. with Leucanthemum lacustre (Broth.) Samp. The new plant, Leucanthemum ‘Whoops-a-Daisy’ originated from a planned breeding program of the inventor, Kevin A. Hurd, at a wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich., USA in the summer of 2009. The new Leucanthemum was a single selected seedling originally given the breeder number 09-25-01 as an open pollination of an unreleased proprietary female parent identified as 07-15-01 (not patented). The specific male parent is unknown. The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Shasta daisy botanically known as Leucanthemum×superbum and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Whoops-a-Daisy’.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by stem tip cuttings and shoot tip plant tissue culture at the same nursery in Zeeland, Mich. as early as the summer of 2011 has demonstrated that the new cultivar reproduces true to type with all of the characteristics of the original plant retained through successive generations of asexual propagation.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new plant, Leucanthemum ‘Whoops-a-Daisy’, is most closely compared to the Leucanthemum ‘Sonnenschein’ (not patented) in flower and Leucanthemum ‘Snowcap’ (not patented) in habit. In test trials in Zeeland, Mich. Leucanthemum ‘Whoops-a-Daisy’ had a shorter, fuller, more compact, rounded habit in flower due to more numerous axillary branching than ‘Sonnenschein’. ‘Whoops-a-Daisy’ also has smaller diameter inflorescence than ‘Sonnenschein’ with ray tepals that are not as white as ‘Sonnenschein’. Compared to the female parent and grandparent, ‘Leukal 01’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,204, the new plant has single, lighter colored ray tepals rather fringed, light-yellow, anemone-type flowers. ‘Whoops-a-Daisy’ is also shorter and more compact than either the female parent or ‘Leukal 01’. Other Shasta daisies similar in height include ‘Snowcap’ which is not as rounded or mounded in habit and has whiter ray tepals than ‘Whoops-a-Daisy’.

Leucanthemum ‘Whoops-a-Daisy’ differs from all cultivars known to the inventor in the following combined traits:

-   -   1. Sturdy plants with dark green serrated foliage and strongly         branched stems.     -   2. Mounded habit with flowering from the top of the plant to the         ground.     -   3. Flowering with numerous axillary heads.     -   4. Double row of ray tepals beginning near white and developing         to pale cream.         Table one below shows comparisons of other cultivars of         Leucanthemum.

TABLE 1 COLOR RAY CULTIVAR HABIT HEIGHT FLORET Seedling of ‘Wirral Pride’ × upright 76 cm white ‘Mount Everest’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 1084 sport of ‘Esther Read’ U.S. upright 90 cm white 1,125 ‘Barbara Bush’ upright 75 cm white U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,292 ‘Sunny Side Up’ upright 50 cm white U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,837 ‘Sunny Side Up’ upright 50 cm white U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,837 ‘Kiemar’ upright 19 cm white U.S. Plant Pat. No. .12,978 ‘Angel’ upright 17 cm white U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,289 ‘Leukal 01’ upright 44 cm light yellow U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,204 ‘Kiedal’ upright 26 cm white U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,636 ‘Leumayel’ upright 45 cm light yellow U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,242 ‘Sante’ upright 45 cm light U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,829 chartreuse ‘Daisy Duke’ upright 56 cm white U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,914 ‘Engelina’ upright 55 cm white U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,595 ‘Victorian Secret’ upright 51 cm white U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,654 ‘LWMWH03-0’ upright 30 cm near white U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,151 ‘Banana Cream’ upright 45 cm light yellow U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,181 ‘LEUZ0001’ upright 15 cm white U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,426 ‘Real Galaxy’ upright 65 cm ivory U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,873 ‘Bridal Bouquet’ upright 25 cm pale yellow U.S. Plant Pat. No. 24,260 ‘Goldfinch’ upright 40 cm yellow U.S. Plant Pat. No. 24,499 ‘Paladin’ upright 56 cm white U.S. Plant Pat. No. 24,844 ‘Snowcap’ (not patented) mounded 35 cm white ‘Sonnenschein’ (not patented) upright 80 cm pale yellow Whoops-a-Daisy’ (not low 38 cm near white patented) mound COLOR DISC FLOWER CULTIVAR FLORET TYPE Seedling of ‘Wirral Pride’ × light yellow anemone ‘Mount Everest’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 1084 sport of ‘Esther Read’ U.S. white anemone 1,125 ‘Barbara Bush’ yellow single U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,292 ‘Sunny Side Up’ light yellow semi-anemone U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,837 ‘Sunny Side Up’ yellow single U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,837 ‘Kiemar’ yellow single U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,978 ‘Angel’ pale yellow green anemone U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,289 ‘Leukal 01’ light yellow fringed anemone U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,204 ‘Kiedal’ light yellow single U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,636 ‘Leumayel’ light yellow single U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,242 ‘Sante’ chartreuse fringed anemone U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,829 ‘Daisy Duke’ yellow single U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,914 ‘Engelina’ yellow quilled U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,595 ‘Victorian Secret’ yellow semi-double U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,654 ‘LWMWH03-0’ yellow single U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,151 ‘Banana Cream’ yellow semi-double U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,181 ‘LEUZ0001’ yellow semi-double U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,426 ‘Real Galaxy’ yellow fringed semi- U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,873 double ‘Bridal Bouquet’ yellow semi-double U.S. Plant Pat. No. 24,260 ‘Goldfinch’ yellow semi-double U.S. Plant Pat. No. 24,499 ‘Paladin’ yellow single U.S. Plant Pat. No. 24,844 ‘Snowcap’ (not patented) yellow single ‘Sonnenschein’ (not patented) yellow single Whoops-a-Daisy’ (not yellow single patented)

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The photographs of the three-year-old new plant demonstrate the overall appearance and landscape qualities of the new plant, including the unique traits. The colors are as accurate as reasonably possible with color reproductions. Ambient light spectrum, source, direction and temperature may cause the appearance of minor variation in color.

FIG. 1 Shows the new plant at peak flowering with inflorescence covering the plant from nearly top to ground.

FIG. 2 Shows a close-up of the inflorescence.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following descriptions and color references are based on the 2001 edition of The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where common dictionary terms are used. The new plant has not been observed in all possible environments and conditions. The phenotype of Leucanthemum ‘Whoops-a-Daisy’ may vary with different growing conditions such as changes in temperature, light intensity, water availability, fertility, but without change in the genotype.

The plants used for description purposes were two-years old and were grown in Zeeland, Mich. in a full-sun, loamy-sand trial plot environment with supplemental water and limited fertilizer as needed. Summer temperatures range from night lows of about 10° C. to daytime highs of about 34° C. Measurements and numerical values represent averages of trial plants.

-   Botanical classification: Leucanthemum×superbum (L. Burbank). -   Parentage: Female parent unreleased proprietary seedling 07-15-01     (not patented); male parent unknown. -   Habit: Herbaceous perennial with about eighty branched stems arising     from rhizome base; each stem having three to four inflorescences     each, rarely two; about 38 cm tall and 64 cm across with rounded top     and sides; flowering from top to nearly soil level. -   Roots: Fibrous, thin, heavily branched; root color nearest RHS 155D     depending on soil type. -   Propagation: Tip cuttings or tissue culture; about two weeks to     produce young rooted plant; about 33 weeks to finish to flower in     3.8 liter pot depending on season. -   Vigor: Excellent, rapid. -   Stems: About eighty main stems per plant, strong, upright and     angled, 5.0 mm diameter at base, 50 cm tall; canaliculated,     hispidulous; about 15 nodes, average internode length about 1.0 cm.     -   -   Stem color.—Between RHS 139B and RHS 137B. -   Axillary branches: Three to four, rarely two per main stem; between     7 to 20 cm long and 4 mm diameter; less canaliculated than main     stem, hispidulous; at angles of about 20° from main stem.     -   -   Axillary branch color.—Between RHS 139B and RHS 137B. -   Leaves: Serrated, glabrous above, glabrous below except for main     veins hispidulous, dentate with about 16 to 20 teeth per side in     lowest leaves and 8 teeth in most distal leaves; teeth about 1.0 mm     long; apex acute; base sessile to attenuate, partially clasping;     lowest leaves about 9.0 cm long and 2.0 cm wide, distal leaves 6 cm     long and 1 cm wide, average about 7.0 cm long and 1.6 cm wide.     -   -   Leaf color.—Adaxial color nearest RHS 137A, abaxial color             between RHS 137A and RHS 137B; no fragrance detected. -   Veins: Major secondary veins anastomosing, adaxial slightly     recessed.     -   -   Vein color.—Abaxial center vein nearest RHS 144A and             secondary veins nearest RHS 138A toward base becoming same             as surrounding leaf tissue in proximal half; adaxial center             vein between RHS N144A and RHS 144A, secondary veins nearest             RHS 138B on adaxial side. -   Inflorescence: Capitate, about 240 per plant; primary inflorescence     8.5 cm across and 1.5 cm tall, axillary flowers 6.5 cm across and     1.2 cm tall; comprising about 48 ray florets and about 700 disc     florets; individual inflorescence head lasting about three weeks on     or cut from plant. -   Fragrance: Slightly musty with age. -   Flowering period: Early summer (late June) to mid-summer in     Michigan. -   Peduncle: Strong, hispidulous, round to canaliculate but less     canaliculate than stem, 6 to 20 cm long and 2.0 to 3.0 mm diameter     at base.     -   -   Peduncle color.—Nearest RHS 137C. -   Bud: Flattened capitate; with ray tepals still vertical, average     about 22.0 mm across and 17.0 mm tall; adaxial and abaxial ray tepal     coloration between RHS 155D and RHS 158D. -   Ray florets: About 48 per inflorescence; arranged around perimeter     of capitulum in two overlapping rows; 3.7 cm long and 8.0 mm wide,     lanceolate, glabrous, acute apex normally two clefts producing     center lobe about 1.0 mm long and 2.0 mm wide at base, and two     others on either side about 1.0 mm long and 1.2 mm wide at base;     base attenuate, margin entire, glabrous.     -   -   Ray floret color.—As tepals are first at 180° horizontal             adaxial lighter than RHS 155D and abaxial lighter than RHS             155D; mature flower adaxial nearest RHS 155B and abaxial             lighter than RHS 155D; base 10.0 mm on adaxial side and 12.0             mm on abaxial side nearest RHS 144B. -   Disc florets: About 500 per inflorescence in center of capitulum,     combined about 2.7 cm across and about 1.5 cm tall; individual     floret about 8.0 mm tall and 1.2 mm wide, five tepals, about 3.0 mm     long with acute apex, fused at base.     -   -   Disc floret color.—Tepal base between RHS 146 C and RHS             146B; apical 3 mm of tepals RHS 13A. -   Androecium: Only in disc florets; five stamens fused together around     style; about 4.0 mm long.     -   -   Anther.—Oblong; about 2.0 mm long and less than one mm wide,             anther coloration nearest RHS 17A.         -   Filaments.—Fused together at apex, about 2.0 mm long and             less than 0.1 mm diameter, filament coloration nearest RHS             2D.         -   Pollen.—Abundant; color between RHS N25B and RHS N25A. -   Gynoecium: In ray florets and disc florets; single; about 7.0 mm     long; Style about 5.0 mm long and less than 1 mm diameter, split and     curved at apical 1.0 mm, style coloration nearest RHS 154D, stigma     less than 0.5 mm diameter, with acute apex; stigma coloration     between RHS 17D and RHS 17C; ovary about 2.0 mm long, color between     RHS 147D and RHS 145D. -   Receptacle: About 2.2 cm across and 7.0 mm tall; color nearest RHS     145D. -   Involucre: Made of about three layers of phyllaries averaging 48 per     head; to 3.0 across and 0.5 cm tall; glabrous abaxial and adaxial;     entire margin, apex obtuse, base truncate. -   Phyllaries: About 48 per head arranged in about three overlapping     rows, 10 mm long and 2.2 mm wide; entire margin, apex obtuse, base     truncate.     -   -   Phyllaries color.—Between RHS 144A and RHS 144B on abaxial             and adaxial center portions, on margin; distal phyllaries             with a 1.0 mm wide transparent margin in the apical 3.0 mm;             proximal phyllaries with apical third nearest RHS 145A. -   Fruit: Achene, pointed at base and rounded at distal end with     longitudinal color striations nearest RHS N200A and lighter than RHS     155D; about 3 to 4 mm long and 1.5 mm across; about 200 seeds per     head. -   Leucanthemum ‘Whoops-a-Daisy’ grows best with adequate moisture but     can tolerate some dryness once established. It is tolerant of high     temperatures of at least 36° Celsius and cold hardy to at least USDA     zone 5 as well as strong wind and rain. Other disease or pest     resistance beyond that common to Shasta daisy has not been observed. 

I claim:
 1. The new and distinct Shasta daisy plant, Leucanthemum ‘Whoops-a-Daisy’ as herein shown and described useful for long-flowering attractive landscaping in borders, in mass, as accent plants, containerized for patio or indoor use, or as a cut flower. 